Pharyngula: I think this must be what we call a Lazarus taxon

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« A sad passing | Main | Bye bye, RA »

I think this must be what we call a Lazarus taxon

Category: Entertainment
Posted on: June 23, 2006 4:28 PM, by PZ Myers

I'm sure that everyone else who is a fan of the only program on television that features a hybrid arthropod-mollusc character will be pleased to hear that Zoidberg is coming back.

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Good news everyone!

Posted by: JohnPhys | June 23, 2006 5:17 PM

Good news indeed.

A quote seems in order:

Zoidberg: "Fry, remind me: disembowling in your species--fatal or non-fatal?"

Fry: "Fatal."

Zoidberg: "Large bet on myself in the first round!"

Posted by: Evil Bender | June 23, 2006 5:36 PM

All glory to the HYPNOTOAD!

Posted by: Troublesome Frog | June 23, 2006 5:41 PM

That's great news, if it's true. There have been lots of rumors flying around about the show, recently, though. Hopefully, it'll pan out.

Posted by: Steve Sutton | June 23, 2006 5:54 PM

Hopefully it doesn't come back half as good as the original series... Family Guy just hasn't been the same since it came back. Although even if Futurama comes back half as good it will still be the best show on TV.

Zapp: "I am the man with no name! Zapp Brannigan. At your service."

Posted by: Guenter | June 23, 2006 6:02 PM

Yes, indeed! Good news everyone!

Though it would have been cleverer if I had been first ...

Perhaps we can declare the day it returns Robonukkah?

Posted by: theRidger | June 23, 2006 6:07 PM

And I'm his friend Jesus!

Posted by: Joker Cross | June 23, 2006 6:13 PM

On Fox, "Futurama" never developed the same buzz or following of its sister show, "The Simpsons,"

Hah! Considering about half of every season was introduced by the words "we now join our regularly scheduled program already in progress" thanks to NFL overruns, that's no surprise.

The same problem also helped doom Malcolm in the Middle, but at last Fox seems to have sorted themselves out. Next season they are postponing the start of King of the Hill until after the Superbowl.

Posted by: tacitus | June 23, 2006 6:32 PM

Doctor Who recently came close:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/76/Theimpossibleplanet.jpg

Posted by: tacitus | June 23, 2006 6:35 PM

#10

Reelect Nixon's robot body!

Posted by: Alon Levy | June 23, 2006 6:45 PM

#11

I gotta say I was never big on the show, but it's interesting how this one and Family Guy have been resurrected. These two shows seem to be ping-ponging between networks on a monthly basis.

Posted by: BlueIndependent | June 23, 2006 7:31 PM

#12

The article says it's only the second time in history a show has come back from the dead. I thought Doctor Who came back from the dead twice? Well actually he's come back from the dead and regenerated eight times, but the actual series has come back from the dead twice. And surely there must be other shows that have been resurected?

Posted by: Ronald Brak | June 23, 2006 7:38 PM

#13

I think there have been a lot of shows that came back from the dead - reincarnated as TV shows or movies or both.

Star Trek comes to mind. It was dead for what... 18 years? Talk about resurrection miracles!

Posted by: calladus | June 23, 2006 7:45 PM

#14

The article was probably talking about American TV shows coming back in their original form.

Posted by: tacitus | June 23, 2006 8:33 PM

#15

Technically Doctor Who didn't come back in that sense -- it was originally an extended-plot half-hour episodic series, and is now an hour-long action-drama.

Posted by: Caledonian | June 23, 2006 8:36 PM

#16

This seems an appropriate venue to mention the time we were all sitting around, wearing grey turtlenecks and sipping gin and tonics. The conversation turned to the topic of fan-fiction. Somebody (all right, it was I) announced how the ideal Futurama fanfic would begin.

"Good news, everyone! We've been hired to deliver this giant mutant octopus to Hentai 9, the schoolgirl planet."

Posted by: Blake Stacey | June 23, 2006 8:47 PM

#17

PZ... I CHALLANGE YOU TO A CLAWPLACH!

Posted by: Sunny | June 23, 2006 8:59 PM

#18

Let us now all stand for the national anthem!

Posted by: Caledonian | June 23, 2006 9:07 PM

#19

Now all they have to do is bring back Arrested Development and the trifecta of sunday night shows screwed over by Fox will be resurrected.

Posted by: plucky punk | June 24, 2006 12:59 AM

#20

Billy West said this on his forum in response to the Katey Sagal interview...

"I was waiting for someone else to announce the show's return to television so I wouldn't get clobbered if I had any information that was inaccurate!

Yes-- what Katey said is true so there is every reason now (with no reservations) to go nuts. I'm glad to go back to work on my favorite show! I'm sure I'll be on a bunch of shows to promote this... Futurama lives!

Billy"

Billy is the voice of Fry, Zoidberg, Prof. Farnsworth and Zapp Branigan. He was also the voice of Stimpy and a hundred other popular cartoon characters. I have yet to see anything from anyone other than the voice actors weigh in.

David Cohen the executive producer was clear on the the 4th season dvd's that the show was never officially cancelled, but put in limbo so FOX could retain the right to not produce the show. Comedy Central picking it up out from under the Cartoon Network is a coup in and of itself since the Cartoon Network was the vehicle for Futurama's resurrection.

Posted by: Broadside | June 24, 2006 2:00 AM

#21

The difference, plucky, is that Arrested Development is a terrible show.

I'd rather have a side of beef shoved up my ass sideways than watch even a fleeting moment of that dreck.

Posted by: Dan | June 24, 2006 2:28 AM

#22

Mystery Science Theater 3000. Cancelled by Comedy Central, resurrected by the Sci-Fi Network in identical format. What do I win?

Arrested Development (judgements of its quality aside, although suffice it to say I don't want to watch TV with anyone who thinks it's dreck) was only really screwed over by the American viewing public. Well, around season 2, FOX sort of stopped promoting it and the airing of new episodes in season 3 was somewhat erratic, but they were pretty nice to AD seeing how low the ratings usually were. At least they never consigned it to any real TV graveyard like the post-football time slot, or 9:30 on Friday night.

Really, when Skating With Celebrities got higher ratings in the Monday time slot, it just showed that America doesn't deserve Arrested Development. The unfortunate truth is that you pretty much always have to pay a bit to see the good stuff.

Posted by: Rey Fox | June 24, 2006 3:52 AM

#23

Oh. Your. God.

I can't wait for the new episodes!

Posted by: Bruce | June 24, 2006 5:01 AM

#24

You're right. I was still pissed, though, when they unloaded the final four episodes without warning playing opposite the olympic opening ceremonies. Thank the gods for tivo or else I would have missed it.

And Dan, I've got a side of beef in the fridge. We could go there, if you wanted. ;)

Posted by: plucky punk | June 24, 2006 9:01 AM

#25

Anyone else favor the new business model of paying for individual episodes (or small groups of episodes) directly to the people who make them?

That would likely have saved Futurama, Arrested Development, *and* Firefly.

Posted by: Caledonian | June 24, 2006 9:31 AM

#26

"Good news, everyone" isn't quite appropriate, since this is good news. Perhaps "Good news, everyone! 13 new episodes of Futurama! You just need to put on this brainslug to watch them".

Posted by: aiabx | June 24, 2006 10:48 AM

#27

I definitely need some more epidoes of the wealthy family who lost everything and the one son who had no choice but to keep them all together.

I have never laughed so hard as I did while watching that show.

George Michael (sitting in the stair car): I think I'm going to stay out here for a while, watch the sunset.

Maeby:......but it's behind us.....

George Michael: Yeah...there are mirrors....it'll actually look closer...

Posted by: JohnPhys | June 24, 2006 12:14 PM

#28

Anyone else favor the new business model of paying for individual episodes (or small groups of episodes) directly to the people who make them?

In theory, yes, but the practical details would be hard to work out. If we're talking about direct-to-DVD release (or downloads, when download speeds get fast enough and widely used enough), then perhaps there's a chance of it working. That's how I watch most of my TV these days anyway. I've watched little Adult Swim lately, because even though I like the programming, I often just can't be bothered to get off the computer or stop whatever else I'm doing. Still, I think they'd have to adhere to traditional season blocks of episodes (6 at the minimum) for it to be stable and economical enough to keep actors and writers and technical folks on such a project. Particularly in shows with ongoing plotlines, like Arrested Development.

Posted by: Rey Fox | June 24, 2006 4:17 PM

#29

Now all they have to do is bring back Arrested Development and the trifecta of sunday night shows screwed over by Fox will be resurrected.

But what about Firefly?

Posted by: Alon Levy | June 24, 2006 4:19 PM

#30

When Futurama first played on The Cartoon Network, I was impressed that the closing credits were presented full size, full length, and with no voice over on top of the closing music.

To me, that was an uncommon sign of respect for the creators of the series.

Any bets whether The Comedy Channel will be as considerate?

Posted by: rrusick | June 26, 2006 8:59 PM

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